Named in 1914 for Bartlett L. Thane, 1878-1927, general manager of the Alaska Gastineau Mining Co. which had its mill here. Bartlett Thane was born in California and went to Alaska in 1897. The name "Sheep Creek" which was the original miners' name for the town, was published by USC&GS in the 1901 Coast Pilot but was later changed to "Thane" by BGN. The town was founded in 1881 as a result of mining operations in the vicinity. Since World War II the population has steadily declined with the curtailment of mining activities. It is now a residential area